Game and game apparatus



2 ,1935. G. F. CAHILL 1 2,018,833

GAME'AND GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1951 l 5 SheetsSheet 1 HTTES? YQ a mvEH TbR' G. F. CAHILL Oct. 29, 1935.

GAME AND GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [N VEN 01?Oct. 29, 1935.

G. F. CA'HILL (TIAME AND GAME APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed. Sept.12, 1931 l-NVENTOR Oct. 29, 1935. G. F. CAHILL GAME AND GAME APPARATUSFiled Sept. 12, 19-31 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Il/II/lL A INVEN To Oct. 29,1935. G. F. CAHILL GAME AND GAME APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1951 5Sheets-Sheet 5 IHVEHTOR Patented Oct. 29, 1935 iJNiTED STATES PATENTOFFICE 10 Claims.

In the well-known games of billiards and pool, or pocket billiards,large, highly-perfected and costly tables are used, and the balls areactuated by the players by means of long sticks, called cues. Thesetables, as before said, are large; and several times as much floor spaceas the table itself occupies is required to permit the player to walkall around the table and to play from any point he may desire around thetable. Even in rooms where these tables are placed as near to each otheras possible, each table, usually, five feet by ten feet (and occupyingabout fifty square feet) is thought to require a floor space of at leastten feet by fifteen feet, or one hundred and fifty square feet. But thespace usually occupied by these tables is much more than this. Where asingle table is used in a room, as in private residences, a five-foot byten-foot table is supposed to need at least fifteen feet by twenty feet(three hundred square feet). And the tables must be very strong andsolid, and great care exercised to keep their top surfaces so level thatthe balls will not roll sidewise when moving slowly, or settle into evenvery slight depressions. In consequence of the foregoing, good billiardand pool tables are, as above stated, expensive in themselves and in thefioor space that they require.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a game or games, andapparatus therefor, which are rather closely related to the populargames of billiards and pool, but which require much less floor space,and for which a lighter, cheaper and less perfect table serves.

Another object of my invention will be understood from the following: tothrow a ball, as one does upon a baseball field, requires only a naturalmovement of the human arm; to propel a ball, as one does upon a bowlingalley, is also an entirely natural movement. But to roll a ball by thehuman hand upon an approximately horizontal table, is not an easy andnatural movement. One does not have a feeling of definiteness andcontrol when so rolling or impelling a ball upon a table. Therefore, inthe games of billiards and pool, the players ball is usually impelled bya long stick called a cue. An object of my invention, then, is toprovide a game apparatus which permits the human hand to throw the ballwith a downward, natural movement, and also to furnish means whichconverts that downward movement of the ball into a movement along thesurface of the table, and to construct that apparatus in such a way thatthe player may aim his ball toward substantially any part of the tablehe may desire.

Another object of my invention is to produce a game or games, andapparatus therefor, in which a player, playing with balls, instead ofhaving the next play definitely prescribed for him, may choose one oranother of a large variety of plays, 5 said plays varying greatly indifficulty and complexity.

Another object of my invention is to make a game or games, and apparatustherefor, in or by means of which a player can win a larger score orcredit for achieving a difficult and complex play, than for a, simpleplay, with a close relation between the difficulty of the play and theamount of the increase in his score.

Another object of my invention is to speed up the playing of a game,played with target balls, by retarding or reducing the pendulum-likeswing of the target balls.

Another object of my invention is to provide a game apparatus on whichthe players are enabled to impel their balls either by hand or by meansof a cue, as desired, with little or no alteration of the playingapparatus.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of oneembodiment of my improved game apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the table and apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 2A is a plan view of the players end of my table, butmodified anddiffering in this particular from Fig. 2, in that the slots 3*, B formedin the frame-work at the players end of the table, permit the pivots 0and the chutes C and C to be moved laterally;

Fig. 3 is an elevation, a side view of the table and apparatus shown inFigs. 1 and 2. In this view, a hand is' shown resting upon the top ofthe chute, preparatory to the projecting of the ball downward along thechute C Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of my playing 40 table, and theapparatus below said table, illustrating one type of connection from theballlifting-and-lowering apparatus at the front of the table, to thebell-crank levers at the back of the table;

Fig. 5, and the details Figs. 6, 6A, '7, and 11 to 15, inclusive,illustrate one embodiment of my target-ball raising-and-loweringapparatus and parts thereof;

Fig. 6B is a detail, illustrating another form of my apparatus formounting the target balls;

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of one construction of my chute ormeans for transforming the downward movement of a thrown ball into anapproximately horizontal movement; of these,

Fig. 8 is a front elevation or view from the players end of the table;Fig. 9 is a side elevation, and Fig. 10 is an inverted plan view;

Fig. 11 is a front elevation; Fig. 12 is a side elevation; and Fig. 13is an inverted plan view of one of the bell-crank levers at the rear ofthe table, which cooperate in the raising and lowering of the targetballs, marked l, 2, 3, 4, and 5;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation, and Fig. 15 is an inverted plan view of oneof the knobs, a, b, c, etcetera, its shaft, a, b, c', etcetera, and thelower arm a b etcetera, attached thereto, which serve, at the front ofthe table, in the lifting or lowering of the target balls;

Fig. 16 is a detail, sectional elevation, of one of the bushings oreyelets at the back end of the table, through which the strings orpull-pieces a b 0 etcetera, which serve to raise and lower the targetballs, pass;

Fig. 1'7 is an inverted plan view of the bushing shown in Fig. 16; 1

Figs. 18 to 22 are views illustrating another construction of my table,formed in such a manner that the players ball may be impelled by a oneor stick if desired, instead of being delivered onto the table by thehuman hand, with the aid of the chute (C or C as shown in Figs. 1, 2,2A, 3, 8, 9, and 10. Figs. 18 to 22 also show a way of mounting thetarget balls by means of connections below the table, instead of bysuspending them from above the table, as shown in previous figures,although, of course, the form of construction shown in the previousfigures may also be used with the construction shown at the left-handend of these figures, to permit the using of a cue. Of Figs. 18 to 22Fig. 18 is a top plan view of my table, with playing balls and targetballs thereon, and a cue for giving movement to the playing balls;

Fig. 19 is a sectional View in elevation, lengthwise through my table,shown in plan in Fig. 18. In this figure, it will be noticed that thetable to the right of the line 20, 20, is inclined slightly upward, sothat the playing balls, when they reach the remote end of the table,will return by gravitation toward the players end. But from the line 20,20, to the left-hand end or players end the table, the inclination ofthe table is the reverse to that on the right-hand side of the line 29.Or the level of the table to the left of the line 20, 20, in Fig. 19,may be horizontal, or nearly so. (See also Fig. 21.)

Fig. 20 is a cross section through the table of Figs. 18 and 19, on theline 20, 2B of Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 isa detail, sectional view showing the left-hand or players endof the table, and illustrating one way of raising that end of the play--ing surface slightly. This view is on a larger scale than that of Fig.19;

Fig. 22 is a detail, a sectional View, illustrating one means ofmounting the target balls by means of connections below the table,instead of suspending them from above the table, as shown in Figs. 1 to3, and 5 to 6B.

In the accompanying drawings, similar parts are indicated by similarreference characters. In Fig. 1 are seen the chutes C and C fortranslating the downward movement of the ball, after it has left thehand of the player, into movement along the surface of the table; theball, in its movement down the chute, and also the path of the ballbeing indicated by dotted lines. Also, there are seen pendant targetballs, I, 2, 3, 4, and 5, for the player to shoot at; ball-reflectingcushions 10, Ill, extending, preferably, most of the length of the twolong sides of the table and across the end of the table that is remotefrom the players; means supported above the table by which said targetballs are suspended over the table; means by which their swing orpendulum-like motion, after they have been struck, is reduced or sloweddown. Also, part of the apparatus for raising and lowering the targetballs, is indicated, partly diagrammatically, in dotted lines. And thefact that the rear end of the table is lifted somewhat above the frontor players end of the table, is indicated diagrammatically by therelation shown in Fig. 1 between the lower line of my table and the linebelow it, marked Horizontal plane.

A and A are the two side pieces of the main frame of my table; B is theend piece of the main frame at the players end of the table, and B theend piece at the far end of the table. I have made these of wood, oneand three-quarters inches thick, and seven and three-quarters incheswide; but they may be of any suitable material and of any suitable size.The legs, A A and also the cross framing, A A (Figs. 3, 4, and 19) maybe of any suitable material and construction, although I have generallyused wood.

The table-top, which serves as a playing surface, may be made of slateand cloth, as in billiard and pool tables, or of any other suitablesubstances, but I am at present using a comparatively inexpensive woodentable, on top of which I lay a sheet of a hard, smooth composition,called Presdwood, manufactured by the Masonite Corporation, of Chicago,Ill. This covering, as far as my experience has extended, has behavedwell, so far as are concerned changes in the material, due to changes inthe moisture of the atmosphere. Also, the ball acquires less of arotational movement as it travels over this relatively smooth and hardsurface than it would do in traveling over a surface of cloth, such asis often used in covering billiard tables; and the dense surface of thePresdwood makes it easier to dust it and to clean it.

To save the great amount of space which is needed, if the players are toplay from any and every position around the table; to make it possiblefor the players to play wholly from one end of the table; to removethenecessity of their even walking around the table at all; and to makeit possible for a much cheaper, less solid and less perfect table toserve for a highly scientific game, I preferably tilt the playingsurface of my table down toward the players end, as shown in Figs. 1, 3,and 19, so that the players ball will automatically return to theplayers end of the table, whether its natural course would return itthere or not. The amount of tilt given to the table may be varied, ofcourse. Experience has shown that each different angle affects the playin a different manner. In practice, I have found a difference of fourinches between the back end of an eightfoot table and its front end, orabout two and one half degrees (2 very satisfactory.

C and C illustrate one construction of my chutes, for transforming thedownward movement of the ball into an approximately horizontal movement.I have made these chutes of hard wood, and of heights varying fromtwelve inches to eighteen inches above the table, and with the straight,upright part of the chute, with which 617 6 ball first comes intocontact, cut at an angle of sixty degrees to the table; but the chutesmay be made of any suitable material, and of any suitable size andcontour. I preferably pivot the chutes at the back-or players end, muchas indicated in the drawings, with the ends of the pivot pins or rods 0*and c'*, setting into holes in the end piece B. Such a constructionpermits the chute to be directed at any target ball at which the playermay wish to aim, or at practically any part of any cushion. Preferably,I put a handle, 0 on the side of the chute, by which the player may themore conveniently turn the chute and steady it, while delivering hisball.

In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the chutes are shown as pivoted infixed positions. However, I sometimes make my chutes movable cross wiseof the table, to permit a player to select for himself the position fromwhich he desires to deliver his ball. One construction whichI havecontrived for this purpose is to cut slots, B B in the top of the endpiece B, into which the pivots 0* and c'* of the chutes, set; see Fig.2A; And I have constructed this so that a chutes movement sidewise islimited to one half of the table but by lengthening the slot B the chutemay be moved practically all the way across the end of the table. Afterconsiderable experience, I am inclined to believe that fixed positionsfor .the chutes, as indicated, for example, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are,on the whole, better than to provide sidewise movement for the chutes,as in Fig. 2A.

From the supports or cross-bars E and F, and from the tie-bar G (Figs.1, 2, and 3) I suspend five target balls, I, 2, 3, 4, and 5, although,of course, a larger or smaller number of target balls may be supplied.Preferably, I suspend such balls on steel rods or wires, l 2*, etcetera,which, in turn, pass through holes in smaller balls, I 2 etcetera, soset in rings or supports, I, 2, etcetera (see Figs. 6, 6A, and 6B) inthe frames E and F, and tie-bar G, that the oscillations of the balls I,2, etcetera, will cause the smaller balls or mounting balls, l 2etcetera, to move back and forth, more or less, in their rings orsupports, I, 2, etcetera. The weight of the target ball I, its rod I,and its upper small ball or mounting-ball l are, therefore, all carriedin or upon the ring I (Fig. 6A) into which the ball I sets. And theresultant friction of the small ball I in its ring I serves to retard orslow down the movement of the ball I, and soon to bring it to a positionof rest. And similarly with the other balls, 2, 3, 4, etcetera.

In Fig. 6B, the mounting ball I is set in a leather, fibre or othersuitable ring or disc I held in place by the part E and by thecup-shaped ring I When' preferred, such a construction may be used toincrease the friction of the ball l or to obtain asupporting-and-friction surface different from that of the supportingmember E, F or G.

The target balls I, 2, 3, etcetera, may, of course, be held in place byany other suitable and convenient mechanism or in any other suitable andconvenient manner, although I prefer the construction shown to any otherthat I have yet used. I have, however, positioned the target balls in asimpler and less expensive manner, as illustrated in Fig. 19, and in thedetail view, Fig. 22. In such a construction, the target ball (I, 2, 3,etcetera) lies upon the table instead of being suspended just above it,and a cord or tether, 6*, passes through a hole in the table to a weightor spring 6 underneath the table. Such a construction permits the targetball to be driven out of place in any direction when hit, after whichthe spring or weight 6 returns the target ball to its normal positionupon the table.

In order that one or more of the suspended target balls, I, 2, 3,etcetera, may be raised from their positions just above the table, whenthe said ball or balls appears to be in the path of the players ball ashe shoots at something beyond that particular target ball or balls, orlowered toward the table, when the player, or his opponent, desires toshoot at certain definite balls, which are less than the whole numberupon the table, I, preferably, arrange at the right-hand side of thefront, or players end of the table (Fig. 1) knobs a, b, c, d, and 6.From those knobs, down through the side bars A and A, of the table (seeFigs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 14, and 15) extend shafts or rods, (1, b, etcetera,which carry arms a b etcetera, at their lower extremities, which armsextend in toward the center of the table, crosswise of the table. Fromsuch arms, push-and-pull rods a b etcetera, extend back to the rear endof the table, where they connect with bell-crank levers a 19 ,0 etcetera(Figs. 5, 1, 4, '7, 12, 11, and 13). From the similar set of arms on thelower ends of the shafts attached to the balls on the opposite side ofthe table (Figs. 1, 4, etcetera) other pushand-pull rods (a b 0 d econnect also to said rock-shafts a b 0 etcetera, at the back of thetable, so that any rock shaft 41 b 0 etcetera, at the back of the tablemay be operated by its corresponding knob, a, b, c, etcetera, on eitherside of the table.

Upon the supports or cross-bars E and F, and upon the tie-bar G, arescrewed or bolted in any suitable manner, davit-like arms E and E F andF and G; see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6, particularly 1, 5, and 6. Throughthe upper ends of said davit-like arms, E, E and G, are drilled one holeeach, and through the ends of the davit-like arms F and F are drilledtwo holes each, which are preferably rounded inside, as seen in Fig. 5(at the top of the figure) and polished or burnished, so as to be smoothand have a low 00-- efiicient of friction. To the top of the rods l 2 3etcetera, which support the target balls, I, 2, 3, etcetera, isattached, by lock nuts I 2, etcetera, a loop or eyelet l l etcetera; seeparticularly Figs. 5, 6, 6A, and 6B. A cord I which passes through theholes in the top of the arms E and F, and through one of the holes in'the back bar B, connects the loop I at the upper end of the rod I whichsupports the ball I, with the horizontal arm of the bell-crank (1 When,therefore, the ball or knob a, at the players end of the table, isrotated somewhat by the hand of the player, its arm a below the table,through the corresponding push-and-pull piece a pulls forward the lowerarm of the rock-shaft a and so pulls down the horizontal arm of saidrock shaft, pulling down with it the end of the cord I which in turnpulls up the shaft I and target ball I, from its position in closeproximity to the table. Should the target ball be hanging in the raisedposition, an opposite twist or turning of the knob, a, will lower theball from its elevated position to a position very close to the surfaceof the table. Movement of the knobs b, c, dor e, similarly actuate theircorresponding balls. The spring I) (Fig. 5) tends to hold the bell-cranklever b either in its upper position or its lower position, when once itis moved into either position. I

When playing upon my improved apparatus, a player may shoot at one orother of the target balls (I, 2, 3, 4, 5) or he may hit a cushion, III,before he hits a ball, or he may hit a ball a glancing blow, in such away that his ball will pass from the first ball and hit a second ball,and even then continue on and hit still a third ball. Or he may give hisball a glancing blow against a target ball, from which it is reflectedagainst a cushion, which throws it back to still a second ball. Or hemay hit two or three cushions before he hits any ball. While a number ofdifierent games may be played upon my new game apparatus, it isespecially constructed and adapted to permit a larger score, as moreballs or more balls and cushions are hit, on the way to the final targetball, thus permitting a skillful playerto undertake complex andcumulative plays, carrying large scoring credits, while a beginner makessimpler plays, carrying smaller scoring credits.

In one game which has been played upon my improved game apparatus, theplayers have been allowed to shoot at any target balls they chose,scoring one for the first ball hit, two more if the players ball wascaused to hit the first target ball with a glancing blow, and then tohit a second target ball; and scoring three more should the ballcontinue and hit a third ball. Also, one was added to the score for eachcushion hit on the way to the final target ball hit by the players ball.Thus, a beginner could shoot at the nearest and easiest-to-hit targetball, making a score of one by hitting that ball, and taking but smallchances. As he acquired a little skill, he frequently hit a cushion onthe way to the target ball, so scoring two points. If he hit a targetball and then glanced off to a second target ball, he scored threepoints. Should he hit a cushion either before he hit the first targetball, or between the first and second target balls, he would score fourfor the two target balls and one cushion. Meanwhile, a more experiencedplayer tried for more difiicult combinations, which would allow largerscores, although he took greater risk of failure by so doing.

In still another game played on my improved game apparatus, the playeris required to hit the #1 target ball in his first shot; the #2 targetball in his second shot; the #3 target ball in his third shot, etcetera,etcetera, but is allowed to make any combination of other balls orcushions with the particular target ball which he must include in anyshot.

In still another and more difficult type of game played upon my improvedgame apparatus, the player designates his final target ball and getscredit for all the balls or cushions he hits on the way to that finaltarget ball, but no credit if he misses the final target ball.

In still another type of game played on my improved game apparatus, thetarget balls are normally held above the table, and the player lets downinto close proximity to the table, the ball or combination of balls thathe intends to hit. He scores only if he hits the ball or balls he haslet down, the size of his score accumulating as in the other games.

Other games also have been played upon my improved game apparatus, butthe above illustrations are probably sufficient.

When making any shot, the player is free to lift out of the path of histarget ball, any'ball or balls he chooses.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- 1. A target device, foruse in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (b) means for suspending, pendulum-like, said target, preferablyjust above the playing surface and for permitting it to be displacedwhen struck; and means for slowing down by the combined action ofgravity and centrifugal force the pendulumlike movement of said targetafter it has been struck.

2. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (1)) means for supporting said target and for permitting it tobe displaced when struck; (c) a relatively-stiff connection between saidtarget and said means for supporting said target, for suspending,pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above the playing surface;and (d) means for slowing down by the combined action of gravity andcentrifugal force the pendulum-like movement of said target after it hasbeen struck.

3. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (b) means for supporting said target and for permitting it to bedisplaced when struck; (a) a relatively-stiff connection between saidtarget and said means for supporting said target, for suspending,pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above the playing surface;and (0E) frictional means for slowing down the pendulum-like movement ofsaid target after it has been struck.

4. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget ball; (1)) means for supporting said target ball and forpermitting it to be displaced when struck; (c) a relatively-stillconnection between said target ball and said means for supporting saidtarget ball for suspending, pendulum-like, said target ball just abovethe playing surface; and (d) means for slowing down by the combinedaction of gravity and centrifugal force the pendulum-like movement ofsaid target ball after it has been struck.

5. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget ball; (b) means for supporting said target ball and forpermitting it to be displaced when struck; (c) a relatively-stiffconnection between said target ball and said means for supporting saidtarget ball for suspending, pendulum-like, said target ball just abovethe playing surface; and (d) frictional means for slowing down thependulum-like movement of said target ball after it has been struck.

6. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (b) a primary means for supporting said target; (0) a secondarymeans for supporting said target; and (d) a relatively-stiff connectionbetween said target and said secondary means aforesaid, for suspending,pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above the playing surface;said secondary supporting means co-acting with said primary supportingmeans to permit said target to be displaced when struck and thereafterto slow down by the combined action of gravity and centrifugal force thependulum-like movement of said target.

'7. A target device for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (b) a primary means for supporting said target; (0) a secondarymeans for supporting said target; and (d) a relatively-stiff connectionbetween said target and said secondary means aforesaid, for suspending,pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above the playing surface;said secondary supporting means co-acting frictionally with said primarysupporting means to permit said target to be displaced when struck andthereafter to slow down the pendulum-like movement of said target.

8. A target device, for use in a game appa ratus, which includes (a) atarget; (1)) a primary means, with a circular opening therein, forsupporting said target; (0) a secondary means for supporting saidtarget, adapted to fit into the opening of the primary means forsupporting said target aforesaid; and (d) a relativelystiff connectionbetween said target and said sec= ondary means aforesaid, forsuspending, pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above theplaying surface; said secondary supporting means co-acting frictionallywith said primary supporting means to permit said target to be displacedwhen struck and thereafter to slow down the pendulum-like movement ofsaid target.

9. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (b) a primary means, with a circular opening therein, forsupporting said target; (0) a secondary means for supporting saidtarget, adapted to fit into the opening of the primary means forsupporting said target aforesaid; (d) a resilient frictional elementbetween said primary means and said secondary means for supporting saidtarget aforesaid; and (e) a relatively-stiff connection between saidtarget and said secondary means aforesaid, for suspending,pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above the playing surface;said secondary supporting means co-acting with said resilient frictionalelement, to permit said target to be displaced when struck andthereafter to slow down the pendulum-like movement of said target.

10. A target device, for use in a game apparatus, which includes (a) atarget; (1)) a primary means, with a circular opening therein, forsupporting said target; (0) a secondary means for supporting saidtarget, of spherical shape where it contacts with the primary meansaforesaid for supporting said target; and (d) a relatively-stiffconnection between said target and said secondary means aforesaid, forsuspending, pendulum-like, said target, preferably just above theplaying surface; said secondary supporting I means co-actingfrictionally with said primary supporting means to permit said target tobe displaced when struck and thereafter to slow down the pendulum-likemovement of said target.

GEO. F. CAHILL.

